Water-wheel



(No Model.)

w. GALBRAITH. WATER WHEEL.

No. 463,792. Patented Nov. 24, 1891.

4 a, as represented in Fig. 2.

UNITED STATES PATE T l Fries.

WALTER GALBRAITH, on SANTA oRUz, CALIFORNIA.

WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 463,792, dated November24, 1891.

Application filed June 5, 1890. Serial No. 354,409. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WALTER GALBRAITH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Santa Cruz, in the county of Santa Cruz and State ofCalifornia, have invented a new and useful \Vater Wheel or Motor, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in water-wheels, in which I seek,first, by the arrangementof the step to avoid friction to the greatestpossible extent; second, by the arrangementof the bucket-s to avoidinterference with the water .when applied to the wheel; third, by theshape of the buckets to utilize the greatest possible percentage of theforce of the water; fourth, by a screw in conjunction with the step tomake the wheel itself act as a gate, thus avoiding wear and tear fromthe effects of sand and rubbisln'and, fifth, by the simplicity of thecombination of the wheel disk or shell and buckets to reduce to thesmallest extent the loss from friction and the attrition of allsubstances that may be wheel; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the entiremachine, and Fig. 3 a small wheel set upon the end of a water-pipe andinclosed in a case.

%imilar letters refertosimilar partsin Figs. 1 an 2.

To the solid iron disk or shell D D, Fig. 1, are attached the solid ironbuckets B B, &c. six in number, more or lessby means of bolts. The diskD D is either flat or some what conical, coming to a point at the centerThe buckets B B, &c., extend from the rim of the shell D D toward thecenter in the form of a scroll, as represented in Fig. 1, each bucketreaching to a point equally distant from the center A. The bucket Brises vertically from the disk D D a few inches, more or less, accordingto the size of the wheel, and then bends over at a right angle to thevertical portion of the bucket, the top extending out in a horizontaldirection sufficiently to prevent the escape of any water except attheend of the bucket, at G, upon the rim of the Wheel.

When put in position,the buckets B B are on the bottom or under side ofthe disk d d,

water enters through the pipe Z.

as shown in Fig. 2. The buckets B B extend toward the center of the diskD D to points within working distance of the circle E E, Fig. 1. Thiscircle corresponds in diameter to the diameter of the tube g g, Fig. 2.

ff, Fig. 2, is the wheel-box, into which the The ordinary supports ofthe wheel-shaft are shown at y and .2. In the top of the box ffisfirmlyfixed the tube g g, which rises a little above the top of the box andmayextend a little be low the, inner surface, as represented in thediagram. The shaft n is joined to the wheel at uand extends up throughthe boxes 0 0 to the inverted stepp at the point q. The step p is madeto fitinto the concave extremityof the shaft n at g. This stepp is madeto move freely in a mortise or other device in the stationary timber 1;.Above the step 19 is the screw 8, which works in a nut in the archedsupport I The lower end of the screw 8 extends down into the samemortise or device in' which the step 19 moves, but is not necessarilyattached to it.

' In this description when the wheel is at rest the screw .9 is turneddown by the lever r, the pressure being transmitted by the step 10 tothe shaft n, which, having no shoulders at the boxes 0 0, moves freelyup or down. The downward pressure causes the disk-D D to fitclosely downupon the tube g g at E E.

When the wheel is to be set in motion, the screw 3 is raised.The-pressure of the Water in the box f f through the tube 9 g forces thewheel upward, causing the upper end of the shaft to press constantlyagainst the step p, which rises to the same extent that the screw iselevated. As the wheel is raised from the circular tube 9 g, Fig. 2, thewater escapes equally in every direction through all the buckets at thesame time, as represented ate The water striving to escape in straightlines is turned from its course by the curvature of the buckets, andthus imparts motion to the wheel. The buckets are so arranged with aView to the direction that the water takes as it escapes from the tube g9 that they offer little or no resistance to the water until itfairlystrikes the buckets upon their curved sides, thus securing thefull force of the water to impart motion to the wheel. The inner end ofthe bucket is made quite sharp, as

shown at E, Fig. 1, so that the water divides readily upon it. The innerend of the bucket approaches the circumference of the circle E E at sosmall an angle that it is impossible 5 for the back side of the bucket,as at H, Fig.

], to strike the water as it enters the next bucket, as at J, Fig. 1,thus avoiding all impediment from the back action of the bucket againstthe water. The shape of the bucket to is such that the water has anopportunity to expend nearly or quite its whole force by the time itleaves the wheel, the length of the bucket being about two-thirds thediameter of the disk of the wheel. The water also strikes the bucket atquite a large angle and quite near the inner extremity of the same.

The wheel is loaded at the point X, so that there is barely upwardpressure enough against the step 19 to hold the wheel steady.

20 Thus the column of water in the tube g g under the wheel virtuallybecomes the support of the entire Weight of the wheel and itsappurtenances, and friction is reduced to the made to move freely in thetop of the boxff and is worked up and down by means of the racks h h andpinions m m, the latter being turned by means oi the bevel-gear 5,connected with vertical rod K.

Fig. 3 represents a small wheel simply set over the end of a water-pipeto be operated the same as in Fig. 2, and having around it a case,throughthe outlet 4 of which the water is conducted away as far asdesired.

\Vhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent.is-

1. In a Wat r-wheel, a vertically-adjustable shaft having a water-wheelfixed to its lower end and supported by the column of water, avertically-adj ust-able tubeimmediately below the wheel for directingthe Water thereto, and means for adjusting said tube, substantially asherein described.

2. In a water-wheel, a easing into which the water flows, having adischarge-tube g therein, a vertical shaft carrying a horizontalwater-wheel mounted directly over said tube and supported by the columnof water, curved buckets on said wheel for discharging thewateroutwardly, means for adjusting the tube, and a shaft on which thewheel is mounted, substantially as herein described.

WALTER GALBRAI'III.

, lVitnesses:

S. DRENNAN, G. W. LINCOLN.

